


Got Me Dazed & Confused

by julesbarrett



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Lots and Lots of Side Ships, Non-Linear Narrative, POV Third Person Plural, Well almost everybody
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-03-20 15:31:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18995443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julesbarrett/pseuds/julesbarrett
Summary: Rickon's been looking forward to college for the last year. Looking forward to his classes, looking forward to the parties, looking forward to getting a bit of independence away from his parents' house. One thing he didn't know to look forward to was Lyanna Mormont living down the hall from him. To him, it's a pleasant surprise. But it turns out, Lyanna's a little less than thrilled to be at the same school as him.[a non-linear love story]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this is my first time writing for the Game of Thrones/ASOIAF fandom and it's a major AU. Huge huge HUGE shoutout to [WinterRose527](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterRose527/pseuds/WinterRose527) for letting me ramble about this and also giving me some of the original inspiration/motivation for this. This is going to mainly focus on Rickon and Lyanna but two of the main side ships that are already established are Robbcella and Jonsa, lots of others to come but some are meant to be surprises. Title is a reference to the song Dazed and Confused by Ruel. I own nothing except for little Alys and Ned, Robb's kiddos.

SATURDAY - AUGUST 18TH, 2018

Rickon should’ve known that when it came time for him to move into the dorms at Winterstown University it was going to be a whole family affair. It had been that way when Arya had moved in and with Robb. Sansa had lucked out when she’d chosen to go study in Highgarden because only their parents and Ella had gone with to help her get settled in. And Bran going to the Citadel in Oldtown meant that it was mainly just their mother and Robb and Jon, who’d tagged along to do the heavy lifting. But because he’d stayed close to home, every Stark left in Winterstown was currently crowded into his dorm room along with the stack of boxes they carried up four flights of stairs. The room had seemed so much bigger when he’d done his campus tours, plenty of space for him. But now it was filled to capacity and leaving him feeling a bit like Shaggydog in a tight space.

“Really, mum, you don’t have to unpack. Despite what you think I can manage on my own just fine.”

He’d been trying to get her to leave the boxes alone for the last ten minutes. He’d been slow to pack and he was sure he’d be slow to unpack as well but there was no need for his mother and sisters to be the ones to decide where all of his things should wind up. It was no use though because she just continued on, rooting around in one of the cardboard boxes as Sansa loaded some of his books onto the shelf and Robb tried to get Ella and her quickly growing belly to take a seat. He was having about as much luck as his little brother.

“Leave her be, son. She’s gonna want to drag this out as long as possible.”

His father offered him a half smile as he bounced Little Ned on his good knee from where he was sitting on the twin bed. His nephew, for the most part, was the quietest one in the room as he currently snoozed away against his granddad’s chest. He’d been curious about the new place when they’d first arrived but after an hour of running around the small room he was ready for his afternoon nap wherever he could get it. His big sister, however, was not nearly done with all of her curiosity. Alys had explored every inch of the room with her little brother on her heels before making an attempt to go and explore the rest of the hall. Rickon had been quick to grab her before she could escape into the madness of move in day and she’d instead chosen to climb his back to her favorite perch.

“Are you really going to be living here now?” she asked softly, leaning her head against the top of his as she sat on his shoulders, little hands gently grabbing onto his hair. She still didn’t quite understand the idea of him living on campus and had been awfully concerned about what would happen to his room back at Winterfell if he wasn’t there. Carefully swinging her down from his shoulders, she giggled at the sudden change, wrapping her little arms around his neck as he held her.

“That’s right, Lys,” he said just as softly in her ear. “This is where I’ll be staying most of the time. But don’t worry your little head, I’m still perfectly close for us to have our special weekends at the park, just you, me and Shaggydog.”

“Are you sure Shaggy shouldn’t come stay with me? So he doesn’t get lonely?”

He couldn’t help the laugh that came out at that, shaking his head a bit before blowing a raspberry on her cheek and earning a squeal of laughter from her as well. She’d been very concerned about who was going to be keeping Shaggydog company while he was away at school and had offered to have the wolf come stay with her to help out. It was sweet and he’d honestly had half a mind to say yes at first but one look at Ella’s face had said a second wolf in their already crazy home was not going to happen. “Oh I think he’ll be just fine at home, sweet pea. He’s still got Nymeria there to keep him company. And you’ll get to see him every day after school still. Besides, Grey Wind might start to get jealous if he has to share you at home.”

“RICKON BRYNDEN STARK!” His eyes went wide at the sudden sound of his mother not only raising her voice but dropping his middle name into the mix. Everyone was glancing between the two of them as his face went white at the sight of the box of condoms she was holding up with a sharp look at him. “What exactly are you dong with these?”

“Uhhh…” Robb was snickering across the room next to Ella, who had a hand clamped over her own mouth as her shoulders shook. Jon was doing his best to keep it together and Sansa just was giving him one of those perfectly arched eyebrow and smirk combos she’d gotten so good at over the years. Even his father let out a little chuckle from where he sat but clearly Catelyn Stark didn’t see the humor in the situation. Trying to look as sheepish as possible, hoping she’d still see him as her favorite baby boy for the moment, he gave a small shrug and answered, “Late graduation present from Theon?”

Robb didn’t hold back his laugh that time and Ella was laughing right along with him despite the fact that their mother only looked more furious as she swore quietly under her breath. But not quiet enough to evade the ears of Little Alys. “Granny Cat! That’s a dollar to the swear jar!” That only served to send the rest of the Starks laughing, even getting his mother to soften enough that he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be in too much trouble. But he was certainly ready to have his family back in their own homes.

* * *

“This should be the last of them, thank the gods.”

Lyanna rolled her eyes as she took a peak in the box her sister had just brought in, seeing a pile of books that she wouldn’t need for at least a couple days. Those got shifted off to the side in favor for the one containing the modest wardrobe she’d brought with her from Bear Island. Dacey took advantage of the empty space made and flopped back on twin bed, long legs dangling over the end. It had been just the two of them, lugging up the boxes of things from the bed of the old pickup truck for the past half hour, making more trips than they’d anticipated up the four flights of stairs. It had just been the two of them. Uncle Jeor had offered to come and help but both Mormont girls had insisted that he stay home on the island, keep an eye on the shop and not put the strain of a move on his old bones. He’d given them both an earful about how his old bones could still throw them both over his shoulders but he relented nonetheless. Staying home meant the shop could keep running without Dacey and meant there was no halt in work.

“Jory texted, said she’s free for dinner if we’re up for it.”

“Of course she is. She was always going to be free as soon as all the actual work was done and we wouldn’t need anymore help.” Lyanna loved her sisters but she couldn’t help but be a little bitter about the fact that when Jorelle had come to Winterstown U two years ago she’d had to lug boxes in all the same but when it came time to return the favor Jory’d gotten called in for a last minute shift at the coffee shop she worked at.

“Don’t be bitter, little bear,” Dacey teased, reaching out and pulling her baby sister onto the bed with her despite the loud protest she made. It was a squeeze but they both fit on the small bed much like they had when Lyanna had still been a little kid, crawling into her big sister’s bed at night wanting more stories from the eldest Mormont girl. Especially on the nights Maege worked the night shifts. Those were always extra story nights and she’d always loved her sister for them. Which is why she didn’t bother pulling away once they were both laying there, staring up at the speckled ceiling. “If it makes you feel better, you can pick the place for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow.”

“You’re staying the night?” That surprised her. They hadn’t really talked about it but she’d just assumed that once the truck was unloaded and they’d all spent another hour or two together, Dacey would be headed back home. She knew the shop could function just fine without the eldest Mormont for a day or so but she also knew her sister wasn’t one to stay away from her work for long.

“Course I am, little bear,” she answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Gotta make sure you’re all settled in, don’t need anything before I leave you all alone. Besides, the old bear can hold things together a little longer.”

“I’m perfectly fine on my own, Dace,” she protested, arms folding over her chest as she gave her big sister a pointed look that failed to look too serious considering they were cuddled up in a twin bed. “I’m not some fragile little flower who’s going to wilt and die the second I’m left by myself. I’ve been tying my own shoes and making sure to eat my vegetables for several years now.”

That earned her a shove that was strong enough to send her over the edge of the bed with a surprised _oof_. Thankfully, the floor was carpeted so she had something somewhat soft to land on but that didn’t stop her from throwing a shoe at her sister as she laughed from her place still on the bed. “Oh, stop being such a little shit, Lya. You’re the last cub to leave the den. I get to worry whether you like it or not.”

“Just because mum’s not here -”

Dacey sat up at that, propping herself up on an elbow and fixing her baby sister with a serious look. “Mum’s got nothing to do with it. You’re my baby sister. You’d be dealing with this even if mum were still here. So you can go ahead and cut that shit out right now.”

The two girls just stared each other down for a long moment, neither of them saying anything. Then, Lyanna said, “You’ve gotten a lot bossier in your old age.” She ducked just in time to miss the shoe being thrown back at her and suddenly the mood had shifted from the heaviness that Maege’s memory always seemed to leave to the carefree teasing they’d been sharing earlier that day. Things were pulled from boxes and thrown back and forth at one another until they were both laughing breathlessly and she was glad Dacey was willing to stay the extra night in town.

Eventually their little war came to an end, a truce being declared between sisters and they went back to the boxes they’d spent the morning bringing in. “Oh! I almost forgot to mention.” Lyanna glanced over from where she was putting away a stack of t-shirts. “I bumped into Robb Stark on one of my trips up here. Apparently, his little brother’s living in the dorms too.”

She frowned at that news, nose scrunching up involuntarily. “Seven hells… Is it too late for me to go stay with Lyra at Sunspear?”

* * *

**SQUID BOY:** ur mum found them?

 **SQUID BOY:** lmfao how mad was cat???

 **WOLF KING:** like steam coming out of her ears

 **WOLF KING:** would’ve been funny if it wasn’t happening to me

 **WOLF KING:** robb couldn’t stop laughing

 **SQUID BOY:** i wouldn’t either lol

 **SQUID BOY:** wish i could’ve seen it

 **WOLF KING:** don’t get too excited

 **WOLF KING:** she’s pissed at you too

 **SQUID BOY:** ME?!

 **WOLF KING:** told her you gave them to me

 **SQUID BOY:** fuck rickon

 **SQUID BOY:** guess i’m skipping sunday dinner

 **SQUID BOY:** [middle finger emoji]

 **WOLF KING:** [middle finger emoji]

 

It had taken another hour and a half and lengthy lecture from his mother before Rickon had finally been left alone in his dorm room. It seemed finding a box of condoms in her baby boy’s things was enough of a distraction to keep from having an overly emotional goodbye which was the one good thing to come of the whole ordeal. Alys had fussed when it was time to leave and that had made him a little weak. He’d always been a little weak for her though. She’d been his partner in crime since she was old enough to walk and any time she pulled out the waterworks he was reminded just how much he hated to see her cry. She’d found her way back into his arms, clinging to him like a little spider monkey and crying into the front of his shirt that she didn’t want to leave, that she wanted her Uncle Rickon home with her and Shaggydog at Winterfell. He’d made a dozen promises of all the different things they’d do over the next couple of weeks when he wasn’t in class and he made sure to pinky swear to go with her when it was time for her first day of kindergarten. Eventually the tears had stopped and she’d been transferred from his arms to Robb’s where she quickly cuddled up, worn out from the wave of emotions. The rest of the goodbyes had all been fairly painless in comparison. He’d be seeing them all that weekend for family dinner like always so it wasn’t as if it’d be particularly hard to keep in touch.

Once the room was empty and he was left on his own, he was able to finally breathe again. He loved his family, loved them more than anyone else in the world. They’d always been close and he couldn’t be more grateful for them. But he definitely was ready for a little bit of independence. Even if he was still living in his hometown. His roommate, a guy named Steffon Seaworth from the Stormlands, hadn’t shown up yet, which was probably for the best. They had messaged each other a few times on social media but he didn’t need the first time they met being while their room was filled with the rest of the Stark pack.

He’d gotten settled in a little better after everyone had left, unpacking a couple of boxes before going out to explore a bit as a student rather than just a visitor. Robb hadn’t told him too many stories about his time attending the university but Arya had been more than happy to share some of her favorite spots, pointing them each out on the one visit she’d taken with him before she hopped a flight to Braavos. She’d given him all kinds of little nuggets of wisdom - little details like when the best time to visit the gym was and which corner of the library was the best if you wanted to sneak in snacks and where to find the old weirwood tree that he could climb up and find a good perch on one of the warmer afternoons. None of it had been of major significance, not the sort of thing that would ever make it into an official campus tour, but it made the place feel a little more welcoming to him.

So he’d made his way around the campus, stopping in one of the cafeterias long enough to grab a quick snack, before making his way across the quad. It wasn’t too crowded yet, people still slowly filling up the dorms before classes started in a couple of days. It was the kind of wide open space Shaggydog would’ve loved to run rampant across, the kind of wide open space he loved to have to himself. He eventually found himself up in the branches of the old weirwood, perched on one of the higher branches watching the world go by. And he wound up accomplishing quite a bit while tucked away up in that tree. He’d texted Theon about the condom incident, video chatted with Arya who was apparently was in Volantis this week, and figured out just how late he could sleep before his first classes each day. By the time his battery was dying and the sun was starting to go down, he figured it would be a good time to head back and see if his roomie had shown up yet.

Everything seemed less crowded and more at the same time. For the most part, all the extended families that had filled the halls earlier that day were gone. Now it was just a sea of college kids, mostly freshman, all getting their first taste of freedom on the Winterstown campus. He’d heard some stories about the parties that came with the first week of classes and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited for those. Robb may not have been willing to tell his college stories but Theon had always been happy to share with the youngest Stark.

He was in the middle of texting the squid prince for his frat party recommendations, cutting down the girls side of his floor, only to run straight into another resident. A female resident. One who was wrapped up just in a towel and had a long braid of dark hair draped over her shoulder. He already had an easy line ready to offer up with the confident grin that had probably gotten him in his fair share of trouble over the years. Then he saw the familiar dark eyes that had almost always been glaring at him.

“Lyanna?”

It had been four years since he’d last seen Lyanna Mormont but there wasn’t a chance in hell that he’d forget that glare. To be fair, he’d deserved it the last time he’d seen her. He’d been fourteen and stupid and her family had been going through a lot of shit. But it seemed that she was happy to keep it going despite the time that had passed.

“Uh, hey, Lya. Been a while. How’ve you been? You look…” He trailed off before he could finish his thought because her glare had already narrowed on him even more and he was fairly certain he could call her a goddess and she’d still try to hit him. But she did look good. Fuck, did she look good, especially standing there in just a towel. He could feel most of his blood rushing to one particular spot and he had to scramble to keep his mind from going too far down that road. “So you’re going here too? That’s -“

She didn’t let him finish, her eyes rolling before fixing him with one last glare. “Oh fuck off, Stark,” she grumbled, clutching her towel a little tighter and shoving past him.

He turned, gaze following her down the hall to what he assumed was her room, staring in a way that probably would’ve gotten him hit if she was still looking his way. Calling after her before she disappeared from sight completely, he said, “Good talk, see you around, Mormont!” The door closed with a hard slam that made him jump just a bit. He stood there for a minute, just staring at the door she’d disappeared behind and trying to wrap his head around that that was the same girl he’d chased around in the mud when they were little. It didn’t seem right but at the very least he was positive that he was absolutely fucked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so there's been a slight change in plans since I first came up with this idea for this and posted the first chapter. Not with the plot or anything just with how I'm writing this. Basically I have a whole lot of ideas that are kind of all over the place and my inspiration for what to write isn't quite following a linear story narrative. So instead of trying to force the writing or just take a million years to post anything, I'm going to try just working on the scenes that come to me and posting this as a non-linear format. So it'll kind of jump all over the place. I am going to go ahead and put dates at the start of each chapter to try and make it a little easier to figure out how things take place. I hope you guys are cool with giving this style a chance and thank you to everyone who has left comments so far, it seriously means the world to me.
> 
> Also a crazy huge shoutout to [WinterRose527](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterRose527/pseuds/WinterRose527) for being an absolute angel as I work on this and always letting me ramble to her about my dumb ideas. You're a lifesaver and I adore you.

FRIDAY - NOVEMBER 9TH, 2018

It wasn’t the first time that Ella Stark had gotten a call late in the evening from her youngest brother, asking to be picked up with no questions asked. It was something they’d agreed upon when Rickon turned sixteen and started sneaking out at night to go on the typical adventures of teenage rebellion. The first time he’d called, drunk of his ass and needing someone to come get him and more than a little scared about what his parents might do if he called them, she’d come to get him. She’d brought him home to her and Robb’s house, tucking him into the guest room bed he’d frequented over the last year when he wanted to escape from home. The next morning they’d had a chat over drinks, her with her hazelnut creamer filled coffee and him with a hangover cure he’d gotten from Theon that looked absolutely dreadful and smelled worse. She offered as he choked down his concoction that she would always come and get him if he needed her, no questions asked and no judgement passed. So she’d gotten several calls over the last couple of years, usually when he’d had too much to drink and needed somewhere to sleep it off, occasionally when he’d done something horribly reckless that would’ve left Catelyn worrying and fussing. But this was the first time she’d gotten a call from the police station asking to be picked up and bailed out. Though to be honest, she shouldn’t have been too surprised. She remembered the times she’d gone to pick up Theon and Robb after some kind of mischief gone awry back before they’d all settled down a bit. Well, at least, her and Robb had settled. Theon was still good at finding trouble. He’d just gotten better at getting himself out of it.

Pressing a quick kiss to Robb’s cheek and whispering that she’d be back soon, she grabbed an old sweatshirt and slipped on some boots before heading out. It was the beginning of November and the cold air definitely had a bite to it that she’d grown accustomed to after her years living in the North. Still, she didn’t hesitate to crank up the heat in their SUV as she backed out of the drive and made the quick journey to the police station. The drive was only about fifteen minutes and when she arrived, the place was fairly quiet. Just a few squad cars in the lot, no one milling about at this time of night. Jory Cassel was working the front desk when she came in, which was a good thing in her book. He’d picked up all of the Stark children for various indiscretions of the years and she knew he had a soft spot for them thanks to Ned. He glanced up when she came in, eyes crinkling with a tired smile for a familiar face. “Evening, Myrcella. You here for the wild child?”

“Hey, Jory, yeah, I’ve been called to fetch him. He’s not in too much trouble is he?” Her hands reached up to pile her bedhead into a messy bun atop her head, trying to wake herself up a bit more as she stood there. With Jory, it was likely that there’d be no issues getting Rickon released quickly but just in case she needed to clear her mind and be a bit more alert.

“Nah. They just got picked up by a couple of new officers wanting to buckle down on the students. Easy pickings for arrests, especially this time of night. But no charges this time. Just needed someone to come pick him and the girl up.”

“Girl?” That caught her attention. She couldn’t remember ever having had to pick up Rickon with anyone else. More often than not if he got into trouble with someone else, it was Theon or Arya, someone older who took the reins on the situation. Jory just shrugged, gesturing for her to follow him around the corner to where the small holding cells were. And sure enough, to her surprise, Rickon was seated with his long legs stretched out in front of him and Lyanna Mormont right by his side. They both looked a little rough around the edges. Even from across the room she could see his split lip and black eye and the blood on her t-shirt and some scrapes across her knuckles. If she didn’t know better, she’d think maybe the two of them had finally come to blows. Gods know Lyanna had seemed to threaten his as much more than once since their paths had crossed again. But if that were the case, they wouldn’t have been left together. And she certainly wouldn’t be sitting practically glued to his side with her head leaning tiredly on his shoulder. This was turning out to be far more interesting than she’d anticipated. “Hey there, little wolf.”

Rickon’s head snapped up at that, his messy curls falling in his eyes as he offered her a sheepish smile. “Hey, doe,” he replied, voice tired and a little rough. “Think you can bust us out before we get shipped off to the big house for hard labor?”

She laughed at that and Jory was shaking his head with a silent chuckle, a large set of keys being pulled out to unlock the cell. Rickon stood, stretching his arms above his head before glancing back at the girl beside him. Lyanna looked hesitant, like she wasn’t sure if Ella was actually here for her as well. But before she could say anything to the youngest Mormont, Rickon was grabbing her hand and pulling her along, making it clear she was coming with him no matter what anyone said. Very curious.

It took a whole ten minutes to sign off on the paperwork Jory had for them and gather up the things that had been taken when they’d been arrested and then they were all heading out into the cold night, piling into the SUV without much to say. It took everything in her not to start pestering him with a million questions as the two teens slid into the backseat, sitting as close as they had been in the cell. The best she got was a pointed look given to Rickon in the rearview mirror which had only gotten a faint blush and slight shrug in return. Not enough to satisfy her curiosity but it would have to do for the moment.

* * *

When Ella made the turn to take them all back to her house rather than campus, Rickon didn’t say anything. There wouldn’t be any point in it. He’d learned ages ago that trying to fight Ella on most things was useless. She always won in the end. Besides he was a little exhausted and, to be honest, a bit distracted by how Lyanna had stuck by him since they’d both gotten tossed into the back of a squad car. It was easily some of the least confrontational time they’d ever spent together and he was taking that as a good thing. Then again, it seemed spilling a little blood on her and her friends behalf went a long way in her book. Who would’ve thought that was what it took?

Honestly, he hadn’t heard whatever the initial argument was. The Lambda Chi house wasn’t nearly as packed for a Friday night as you’d expect and he was thinking about heading out when he’d spotted her. She looked innocent enough in the soft gray t-shirt and skinny jeans, standing a half foot shorter than the guy she was talking to, long braid draped over her shoulder. He’d been prepared to have another drink to try and drown the jealous stab in his stomach when he realized she wasn’t yelling to be heard of the music. No, she was confronting this frat bro who easily had six inches and seventy pounds on her. He was still halfway across the room when he first saw her shove him, striding quickly over as she went to shove him again, and arrived just in time for the dickweed to try and raise a hand in retaliation. He hadn’t been counting on Rickon to swoop him and clock him straight across the face with fire in his eyes. A few seconds later and suddenly there was a brawl taking place in the midst of the frat house, a handful of guys coming at him and Lyanna who refused to back down, gender norms be damned. All in all, the whole altercation lasted about ten minutes tops and not long after the police were there to put an official stop to the evening.

On the ride to the station, he managed to get a few details about what had happened out of Lyanna. The guy she’d been confronting was Jaime Frey, some lacrosse player who’d been dating a friend of hers only to become a complete piece of shit when there’d been a pregnancy scare. She’d seen him out partying while her friend was back in her dorm crying and apparently he was lucky she hadn’t ripped his head clean off. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she had.

A few more quiet words had been exchanged before they’d arrived at the police station. He’d been glad to see Jory there, knew that any consequences would be minimal because of that, and thankfully nobody tried to separate the two teens once they were placed in the holding cell. And then, she’d shocked him completely by taking the seat right next to him, getting cozier than he’d ever dreamed would actually happen. It would’ve been fantastic if it was happening anywhere other than a jail cell. He settled for just enjoying the contact and the fact that she’d stayed at his side even once they arrived back at Robb and Ella’s quaint townhouse.

His big sister had ushered them both into the house, insisting she get them both cleaned up before they were sent off to get some sleep. Lyanna looked a little uncertain but he offered her a warm smile and he was happy she seemed to be receptive to that.

“El? Are you back?” Robb came shuffling in, Little Ned cradled in one arm as he took in the sight of the two teens. Rickon could see Lya’s eyes getting a little big, almost childlike as if she were preparing to be scolded by a parent. But Robb just looked between them both and offered up a tired smile. “What kind of trouble have you gotten into this time, little bear?”

Before he could even comprehend what was going on, she shuffled her way over to his big brother, allowing herself to be pulled into a big hug that she seemed to return just as enthusiastically. Ten seconds of them being in the same room and he had a million questions, primarily how the hell did Robb manage to have her affection when he’d been struggling to get smiles for the past semester. Faintly, he could hear her as she asked, “Promise you won’t tell Dacey about this?”

“Mum’s the word,” he replied, giving her one last squeeze before letting her go. She stepped back, drifting back towards Rickon as Ella finally reappeared with a first aid kit and a small stack of clothes. She stopped long enough to kiss both Ned and Robb’s cheeks before getting her two patients settled in chairs so she could do what was needed to be done. The room was quiet again, save for the occasional hiss at the cold antiseptic and the sound of Robb softly cooing at Ned to keep him asleep.

When Ella had deemed them both finished, she’d handed the clothes to Lyanna with a warm smile. “These should fit you and be a bit more comfortable to sleep in. Rickon can help you find anything else you might need. But get some sleep, both of you. That’s an order.”

“Thank you, for everything,” Lyanna said, hugging the change of clothes to her chest and looking a bit less anxious than she had earlier.

“No thanks needed, darling,” Ella said, pulling the younger girl into a tight hug for a moment. “You’re part of our pack and we take care of our own.”

She flushed a bit at that but didn’t say anything on the matter. In fact, he was pretty sure he could see the hints of a smile which made him smile in return. He was next on the receiving end of one of his sister’s hugs, though he had to lean down a bit to hug her back properly. “Thanks for everything, Lella.”

“I insist you tell me everything in the morning, little wolf,” she whispered back in his ear and he couldn’t help the little chuckle at that. Of course, she would want to know. Despite their usual no questions asked policy, this situation was enough to have her curious and he didn’t blame her. After all, she’d been listening to his starry eyed lovesick commentary in regards to the youngest Mormont since he’d first come across her back in August.

“Don’t worry, I will,” he whispered back, getting a soft kiss on the cheek before pulling away. She gave the same cheek a quick pat before scooping Ned out of his father’s arms and they both disappeared back to their own bedrooms, leaving the teens alone once more. Lyanna was looking at him curiously, like she was waiting to see what came next, and he simply grabbed one of her hands and pulled her along. “C’mon, I’ll show you where the rooms are.”

* * *

Being in Robb Stark’s house was a little bit strange to her. Truth be told, she’d spent very little time at any of the Stark homes. In the summers when she was little, it was always the Stark children being brought to Bear Island. There’d probably only been two or three times that she’d ever visited Winterfell. Not because they weren’t welcome. Cat and Ned had always insisted time and again that Maege and her girls were always welcome in their home, no matter what. It was just that Bear Island was home and it wasn’t always easy to leave the island behind. She was still trying to get used to not being there now, even though they were about four months into the school year. She didn’t know how Lyra did it, being all the way down in Dorne when the Mormont girls so clearly had the island in their veins. But she was adapting and she’d be able to go home if she wanted to over the winter break to see Dacey and Aly and the Old Bear.

Rickon had led her down a hallway and then up to the second floor, gesturing for her to be quiet as they passed a closed door with a bright pink and green sign that said Alys Joanna in beautiful cursive. There’d been two empty guest rooms at the end of the hall that he’d stopped at. One for her and then he’d be right across the hall if she needed anything. They’d both stood in the hallway awkwardly unsure how to part ways and trying to stay quiet as to not wake up the sleeping five year old just next door. Looking up at him, she felt that same flutter in the pit of her stomach that she’d been noticing for weeks now. He looked annoyingly handsome in the low lighting of the hallway, curls falling across his forehead and the black eye he’d earned from one of the fraternity brothers starting to show more prominently. She still couldn’t entirely believe that he’d thrown himself in the way of her altercation with the Frey bastard. But she was grateful for it, even if she wasn’t sure how to tell him that just yet.

Another minute and he finally offered a soft goodnight before disappearing into the room behind him and she did the same. It was a decent sized room with a queen sized bed and soft grey and blue tones. She quickly stripped out of her clothes from the day, the ones that she unfortunately realized smelled a bit like smoke and beer and sweat from being at the fraternity. Tossing them into a small pile next to her shoes, she pulled on the soft cotton pajama pants and matching tank top that Robb’s wife - Ella, she reminded herself, repeating the name a few times in her head - had given her. They fit just fine, the legs a little long but nothing that would bother her in bed, and once she was changed she slipped under the covers. And then laid there and stared at the ceiling waiting for sleep to come.

Fifteen minutes later and still nothing. The house was quiet save for occasional creaks from the winter winds outside. She could see some of the stars outside her window, could see a few lights coming from the direction of the campus. She rolled to one side and then the other. Rolled onto her and onto her back and a dozen other different ways to try and get comfortable in the unfamiliar settings. It wasn’t working. And the only tried and true method she could think of wasn’t something she’d typically consider with the current occupants. But she was bone tired at this point and just wanted to sleep. So she made a decision that she was about sixty percent sure she’d regret in the morning.

Quiet as a mouse, Lyanna stepped out of her room and across the hall, not bothering to knock as she slipped into Rickon’s room. He was propped up in bed, leaning up a bit on an absurd amount of pillows and scrolling through his phone when she came in. His eyes went to the door when he heard it open and went wide the second he saw it was her. Her own went wide when she realized he didn’t have a shirt on and she tried not to blush at that sight. This wasn’t meant to be anything flirtatious or romantic or anything like that. Just a means for her to get some much needed sleep. That didn’t stop her cheeks from turning bright red though as he kept his gaze fixed on her rather intensely as she took the few steps to the bed and the slipped under the covers next to him.

“Seven hells,” was what she heard him whisper out, more to himself than to her as she curled up on the bed next to him. She faced the door, curling up and trying to make herself small on the bed but really, she wanted to scoot next to him. She wanted to curl up like she would in Dacey’s room back home, wanted the comfort of having someone next to her. It was potentially silly and childish and completely stupid considering she hadn’t quite figured out what was going on between the two of them just yet. But she didn’t want to think about that tonight and she was grateful when he didn’t try and extract some kind of explanation from her. Instead, she’d just felt the shifting of the mattress as he stretched out next to her before an arm was being looped around her waist and she was being pulled back against the warmth of his chest. She was too tired to resist her urge to snuggle back up to him, their legs quickly tangling together as his nose rubbed against the crook of her neck. “You’re going to be the death of me, Lya.”

Any witty reply was lost to her as she drifted off to sleep, feeling warm and cozy with the youngest Stark at her side.

* * *

When Rickon woke up the next morning, he was fairly certain he was still dreaming. He’d had this dream at least a dozen times. The one where he wakes up in bed next to the beautiful girl with messy dark brown waves, the two of them wrapped up in each other. But when he reached up to brush a strand out of her still closed eyes her nose scrunched up and she tried to burrow deeper into the bed, unintentionally landing an elbow to his stomach. That pain was reason enough for him to realize that he was awake and that Lyanna Mormont was indeed cuddled up in bed with him. After a few moments of wracking his sleep muddled brain, the events of the previous evening came back to. The fight at the frat party, the holding cell they’d shared down at the police station, the way she’d come into his room after dressing for bed for reasons he still didn’t quite understand. It was all crazy. Two days ago she’d been ready to throw her biology book at his head and now she was curled up next to him, the top of her head practically tucked under his chin. It was a dream come true but he was pretty sure it wouldn’t go over as well as he’d fantasized once she woke up.

As carefully as possible, he slowly slipped out of the bed, disentangling their legs and reluctantly leaving her curled up in the bed. She didn’t seem to bothered by his movement, simply rolling to the middle of the bed once he was gone and grabbing the pillow he’d been using as she continued to let out the tiniest of snores. It was shockingly adorable and he would’ve snapped a picture of it but he was almost certain she’d throw his phone out a window if she found out about that. Instead, he grabbed one of the t-shirts he kept in a drawer and quietly ventured out. His original destination was the kitchen, hoping that his angel of a sister would have some kind of baked goods waiting like always. But then he spotted something better in the living room.

“Hey there, sweet pea,” he said softly as he came into the room where cartoons were playing softly on the television. Alys was stretched out on the floor, still dressed in her favorite Tangled pajamas and using Grey Wind as a pillow. Both child and wolf looked up curiously and before he could blink she’d jumped to her feet and launched herself at him.

“Uncle Rickon! You’re here! I didn’t know you were here!” He stumbled a half step but caught her easily, scooping her up as he’d done countless times before and hugging her tightly to his chest. Her little arms wrapped behind his neck as she hugged him tightly and he did just the same.

“Shh, can’t be too loud or we’ll wake everyone up,” he whispered softly to her as he carried her back over to where she’d been seated originally. Still holding her, he settled on the ground, back against the couch with his little niece still safely in his arms. “Now what are you doing up so early?”

“Me and Grey are watching Scooby-Doo. He likes it because Scooby’s a detective and I like it because they always catch the monsters in the end.” She said it as if it were the most matter-of-fact statement in the world. And with that Alys launched into a hundred different topics she wanted to discuss with him, covering everything from what had happened in her kindergarten class earlier that week to how Little Ned had gone for a ride on Grey Wind the other day to Ella’s amusement to the purple and silver bracelet Auntie Arya had sent her from Pentos. He hung on every word she offered him, the cartoon forgotten as she sat in his lap and told him one story after another. Grey Wind had relocated to laying across his legs which was a pleasantly familiar feeling he’d missed since moving into the dorms and having to leave Shaggydog at home. The two Starks were lost in their own little world until the wolf perked up and brought both of their attention to the living room doorway.

Lyanna was standing there, looking a bit like a deer caught in the headlights and he couldn’t help but wonder how long she’d been standing there. She looked as lovely as always, long hair a mess of tangled waves hanging over one shoulder and a tiny bit of skin exposed between the pajama bottoms and tank top that he had to force himself not to stare at. Alys squirmed in his arms, twisting till she was able to lean back against his chest and look up at the newest visitor in the room. “Hi Lyanna,” she said in a soft, quiet voice, her little hand waving to the older girl. He felt his heart throb when she smiled back just as softly and gave a little wave in return. “Do you wanna watch Scooby-Doo with us? It’s me and Grey’s favorite.”

“I’d love to. Me and my sister, Jory, used to watch this all the time when we were your age. We loved trying to guess who the monster would be. She was always better at the guessing than I was.” She came across the room, sitting herself on the floor next to them with her legs folded and out of Grey Wind’s way. There was a bit of a gap between them but after last night he was having none of that. Reaching out, Rickon wrapped an arm around her shoulder to slide her closer to them. She pulled back for a moment, looking up at him with those wide eyes and he was about to let go before he got hit. But then she tugged her lower lip between her teeth and breathed in slowly, giving him one last look he didn’t quite understand before settling in at his side. His arm stayed curled around her shoulder and he tried not to think too much about how warm she felt pressed against his side. And he smiled triumphantly when he started to play with the ends of her hair and didn’t get his hand slapped away. The four of them all settled in quietly to watch the old cartoon playing out on the screen and he couldn’t have been happier.

And thankfully, Lyanna didn’t seem to notice when Robb and Ella both poked their heads around the corner to spy on the teens with amused smirks. He’d be hearing plenty from them both later but he’d take the fact that she seemed unaware of his siblings antics as a small victory.

* * *

By half past twelve, after Ella had made them all breakfast and then packed up a couple of tupperware containers full of her homemade gingersnap cookies for them to take back, Robb had dropped the two of them off on campus. He’d given Lyanna another big bear hug and an open invitation that echoed the same thing Ella had told her. “You’re always welcome, whether you’re with this idiot or by yourself.” Rickon had made a noise of protest but only got a hug from his big brother and something mumbled that left his cheeks a little pink. She hadn’t asked mentioned it, only waved as Robb pulled away and the two of them fell into step on the way to their dorm building. They were both quiet which was unusual for Rickon at least. She’d slowly grown used to the endless stream of consciousness he always seemed to be able to provide over the last few months and she had half a mind to ask him what was going on. But part of her had a good idea.

She’d been grateful that she’d woken up alone in the bed that morning. She’d laid there for a good twenty minutes, completely mortified as she remembered coming into his room and crawling into bed with him without a word of explanation. It had been a bit of an impulse decision and she wasn’t entirely sure if she would’ve done it again. But she knew that she’d woken up from one of the better sleeps she’d had in a while and when she was laying there just breathing in the scent he’d left next to her she’d felt the flutter in her stomach grow bigger than it had ever been. And now, practically drowning in a hoodie of his that he’d insisted would be warmer than her jacket, she was having a horrible time trying to deny the thought that had been nagging at the back of her mind for the last few weeks.

Rickon suddenly stopping outside their dorm building, pulled her from her thoughts and left her stumbling back a step as she looked up at him curiously. He met her gaze for a moment before glancing down at the ground and then back up to the cloudy sky, his hand dragging through his messy curls. “What happened last night - I mean, at Robb’s - it was - well, it was kind of fantastic but - I’m just trying to figure out if it actually meant something or if it was a one time deal and you’ll hit me if I try it again?”

She’d never heard Rickon stutter that much through anything he said, not even the poorly offered and unsure condolences he’d given at her mother’s funeral when they were kids. It left her feeling a bit put on the spot but she figured that was fair. Jorelle had been pointing out for months that she’d done something to win the affections of the youngest Stark brother and in a way she’d shown some reciprocation the night before. That didn’t make it any easier for her to figure out what to say to him as they stood on the sidewalk outside their building. Her hands tugged at the long sleeves, eyes focusing on anything other than him. “I’m not going to hit you…probably,” was what she offered after a minute of awkward silence and that was enough to earn a laugh from him which had her smiling just a bit as well. “Look, I don’t really - I don’t know how to explain… I’m not like in love with you or anything and I still think you’re one of the most obnoxious boys I’ve ever met in my life… But there’s a possibility that I might enjoy being with you than any of the other guys here.”

He didn’t say anything and finally she looked back up to him only to find that annoying smirk starting to pull at his lips. She had half a mind to just go inside before he could say anything else. But he was quick to grab her hand and hold her there as he stepped closer. She had to tilt her head back just a bit to keep her eyes on his and that only seemed to make his smirk widen. “So, what you’re saying is you like me?”

“No,” she quickly protested but that only made him laugh. “I didn’t say that.”

“I’m pretty sure you did,” he replied, grabbing her other hand easily. She wanted to shove him away and call him an idiot but she was also a bit fond of how it felt to have his long calloused fingers laced with hers.

“I said I don’t hate your company, that’s completely different than-”

“Seven hells, Lya. Shut up and let me kiss you.”

She stared up at him, feeling her whole body on edge at his words. It wasn’t a question he’d asked but he was still waiting for her permission, waiting to see if she’d agree or shove him away like she’d been doing all their lives for one reason or another. But instead, she just gave a tiny hint of a nod and said softly, “Okay.” And then his lips were on hers, unbelievably soft and warm and tasting of the cinnamon cakes they’d eaten that morning. It was an easy touch, nothing forceful or demanding, but then her hands were pulling free from his and finding their way into his mess of curls. As she wove her fingers through his hair and held him a little tighter, he quickly wrapped an arm around her and leaned in to deepen the kiss. It was delicious and delightful and everything she’d claimed to not be dreaming about. Half a minute later it was open as a handful of students came out of their building, chattering on about weekend plans. She could feel her face turning bright red but he didn’t let her go, pressing a few brief kisses across her cheek and jaw and that little spot just behind her ear that left her leaning against him.

“Knew you liked me,” he mumbled into her ear before pressing a quick kiss behind it.

She rolled her eyes at his words but didn’t try to pull away, giving his hair a tug instead and leaning into him. “Oh, shut it, Stark,” she grumbled before pulling his lips back to her own, pressing a firm kiss to them with the clear intention of what she’d rather be doing. He had no protests to offer.


End file.
